Wounds Wide Open
by LanaW.81
Summary: Rose and Dimitri have a past together but were forced to go their separate ways. They lost contact and find each other thirteen years later. It will jump between past and present and all will be explained in time. All human story.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi everyone!**_

_**This is my first story. It has been on my mind for a while now and it just wouldn't shut up, so I had no choice but to start writing it!**_

_**It will be updated everyday or few times a day depending on how much writing time I can sneak in my schedule. The chapters will be short.**_

_**I am looking for beta so please excuse any mistakes.**_

_**Please review and tell me what you think.**_

**Disclamer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just like to have fun with them.**

**Hole ****In**** My**** Soul**

Butterfly wings on my lips. Feather touch all over my body. The feeling of liquid fire running through my veins. That electric current jolting me to life again. The ice in my heart melting.

I feel alive. I have never felt more alive than right now, in this precise moment.

The kiss turns hungry. Like we are trying to devour each other. I want to mould into your body and disappear, just become a part of you.

Any distance is too much and I can't stand not feeling your skin pressed again mine.

The look in your eyes. The way your voice is husky and low. You're breathless. I feel the sweat forming on your body, as well as on mine.

I can't get enough of you. And I know you can't get enough of me.

I'm ready to implode. I have never felt this way before. You hot mouth all over my body.

And as you are getting ready to enter me, you look into my eyes and say those three words that I have never leave your lips before.

"I love you!"

I jolt awake. It's quiet, the only sound my ragged breathing.

The hole in my sole is ripped wide open and bleeding again.

I feel so cold. The ice is coming back replacing the fire I felt just a minute ago.

I look at the sleeping form next to me and I feel even colder.

Oh God, it was just a dream, just a dream! I feel like screaming but I know I can't scream.

It will wake up the sleeping man behind me and our son in the bedroom across the hall.

The sleeping man who is my husband. And who is not you.

And the hole in my soul grows bigger...

_**Please review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's Chapter 2. I know it is very confusing but it will all start coming together piece by piece with every chapter. Please bare with me!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just like playing with them.**_

**Chapter 2**

**I Rip My Heart Open**

I can't sleep. I sneak out of bed and make my way downstairs in the dark.

I creep out in the garden and light a cigarette. It helps me pace my breathing.

My mind is assaulted by memories. The memories of you. The ones I thought were buried so deep somewhere in the confines of my conscience they would never make their way up to the surface again.

Oh, boy, how wrong I was!

I know they won't stay suppressed, so I let my thoughts roam back to you. I relieve it all in my mind. It feels like I've ripped my heart open again.

I try everything to escape that and I can't. I remember now. I had never really forgotten anything at all.

It's been thirteen years and I still remember every conversation, every touch, every kiss, every time we made love.

It hurts so much it feels like I'm dying inside. I know I'm back to square one. But I don't know if I can do it again.

I need to fix that. I need to erase the pain I caused you, to make it all better. And I don't know how.

I want us to be friends. So I can have you in my life.

And then it hits me. The realization we can never be friends because I still love you. And you still love me. We can't be friends without further wounding each other.

And here comes the guilt. I haven't done anything wrong, I tell myself.

Then why do I feel like I'm cheating on my husband? That voice in the back of my head is too loud for me to drown it out.

I stay up for the rest of the night. In the morning, I put a fake smile on and try to go about my day as normal. But it's not normal and it never will be.

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just like playing with them.**_

**Chapter 3**

**Imitation Of Life**

Work is a torture that day. I keep zoning in and out. It's a good thing I can multitask. I can't wait to go home.

I pick Eric Adrian from nursery on the way home. He is the only one who brings me some peace and dulls the pain. And then again, when I look in to his green eyes, I can't help but cringe at the thought of facing Adrian.

I do the cooking and the house work. I know by the look in my husband's eyes there will be questions later. And he won't stop until he knows the truth. I'm dreading it.

He knows about you, Dimitri. Not everything, but some of it. I can't tell him everything because I promised to keep your secrets. And they will die with me.

I put Eric Adrian to bed. A phone call from one of Adrian's co-workers saves me from the interrogation.

I go to bed and when Adrian comes to the bedroom I pretend that I'm asleep.

The week goes on like this. Adrian and I hardly talk. I am just that snappy and I can't help it. We are drifting apart. Does he even care?

I haven't heard from you any more this week and I slowly start to return to normal. Or as normal as I could ever be.

And then on Saturday I log in in Facebook and I see the message from you.

It all falls to pieces again.

And this time Adrian won't let it go. We fight that night. I cry myself to sleep in the guest bedroom.

And all the time I can't help but think if it is the same for you. Do you fight with Tasha when your boys have gone to sleep? Do you sometimes think it could be different if we had stayed together?

And do you still hurt inside the way I do? Or have you really forgiven me like you said?

Those three words you put at the end of your message hurt me more than anything else ever could.

You never said them when we were together. They are thirteen years too late.

_**I love you.**_

I can't stand that imitation of life I am living... _Because I love you too..._

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Special thanks to xxkatyxxx**** who left me not one but three reviews!**__

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I only like playing with them!**_

**Chapter 4**

**Like A Moth Drawn To Your Flame**

That night I dream about the first time I met you.

I was drowning my sorrows at a friend's bar. Washing the bad away.

You were there with some friends.

I didn't notice you at first. I probably never would have if I wasn't trouble magnet. And that one drunk pig who decided I needed his company.

You came to the rescue. And then made sure I was alright.

We got talking. I don't know what it was about you that had me so relaxed and feeling save.

I didn't know who you were. And never found out until it was too late.

It was a freak incident – us meeting and getting close. The bar become our meeting place. I never thought I was going to see you again. But you started coming every evening. And I was always there trying to get some peace and quiet.

We never needed to talk to feel comfortable around each other. I liked it when you'll just say hi and wait for me to start the conversation.

And a little bit by little bit we started to talk more and more.

We had a lot in common. We both came from families where relationships were strained. We were both coming out of unhealthy relationships.

And every evening I saw you I felt better. You were fixing the broken inside.

I was attracted to you. You told me who you were and what you did for living. And you were attracted to me.

We tried to fight it but it was inevitable. I was like a moth drawn to your flame. You felt the same way.

And at the end we gave in. You kissed me. And I kissed you back.

I didn't go home that night. We couldn't get enough of each other. And we both knew we shouldn't be together and that we promised each other it would only be sex.

You were in the Mafia and couldn't afford to have a weakness. If you fell in love with me, people would come after me.

So why did it feel like you didn't want to let me go?

And why did you come to the bar the next evening?

And why did I go there myself?

I was the moth and you were the flame...

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for the favourites, the alerts and the reviews. You know who you are!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just like playing with them!**_

**Chapter 5**

**I'm Not Strong Enough To Stay Away**

Another night. Another dream of you. I wake up panting again.

The dream is so vivid. I could almost believe it was true.

Do you dream of me? Do you wake up covered in sweat in the middle of the night and regret ever waking up?

The night becomes my asylum. My escape. The only time I can be back in your arms. I can't wait to go to bed.

You knew I was damaged. I was a victim of domestic violence. Recovering from the alcohol induced attacks of Jesse. I was so nervous being with you for the first time.

But you took your time to worship my body. I was so scared there was something wrong with me. I couldn't remember when was the last time Jesse hadn't forced himself on me coming home after binge drinking. I didn't associate sex with pleasure any more.

Just in one night you changed that. Your mouth, your hands caressed every inch of my body. I was afraid to touch you at first. But when I did I couldn't stop my hands. It was like they had a mind of their own.

Your skin against my skin. It felt so good. I had never felt this way before.

Your body sliding against mine. You moving inside me. It was almost too much to bare.

You said you wanted me to scream your name. And I did. So many times that night.

And again the next night. And the one after that.

I revelled in the feeling of being with you. I was so contend in your arms I never wanted to leave. But I knew I had to put a stop to it. I couldn't love you because you would never let yourself love me.

One week in your arms would just have to do for the rest of my life.

So I did the only thing I could to stay away from you. I stopped going to the bar. I didn't pick up your calls. You knew where I lived so I went to my parents' place in the hopes you wouldn't find me there.

Those were the worst three days in my life so far.

On the forth I answered the door to find you standing there.

"I was worried. And I missed you" - the words had hardly left your lips before I jumped in your arms. "Don't ever do this again!"

My lips found yours and I felt alive again.

"I don't think I could. I'm not strong enough to stay away..."

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for the favourites, the alerts and the reviews. You know who you are!**

**As for Dimitri and Rose ending up together... Who knows? I guess you'll just have to wait and find out!**

**Special thanks to _Kessafan_ who agreed to beta the story and is doing an excellent job! _Kessafan_, you rock!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just like playing with them!**_

**Chapter 6**

**Do you remember?**

Another week goes by. More messages follow.

We talk about our past. We relieve the happy moments. It feels so good being able to talk again. I start to fall back in that comfortable bliss of our easy going friendship. That is exactly how it happened the first time around. Is history repeating itself?

************************************WWO**************************************

We started spending every moment we could together. We were trying to hide it from everyone for a while. At the end, we were so tired of sneaking around, we just stopped pretending we weren't together.

It was our first official date. We were so happy. You asked me to move in with you.

My family didn't take it well. Do you remember the first time you met my parents and my brother? I thought my dad was going to kill you. It took them some time to realize that we weren't going to go our separate ways just like that.

Your brother approved. Your father hated me. He said I distracted you from your responsibilities and told you not to run to him when I got hurt because he'd warned you.

We couldn't help it. I was your drug and you were my air. How did that happen?

The winter turned to spring and the spring to summer. As university let out for break I started travelling with you sometimes. I took over the management of one of your bars. I found out more about what you did and got more and more involved.

We both loved animals and we ended up with two – a little Pekinese and a German Shepherd. I loved them both – the little one was great to spoil and play with. The Shepherd I loved dearly but you gave him to me for a different reason. He was trained to protect me at all cost. He only took commands from you and me. No-one else. Do you remember him attacking my mother one day because you told him not to let anyone close to me?

Do you remember me whining one day about how I wanted to go to the seaside? That I wanted a walk on the beach and to swim in the water? Few days later you woke me up and told me we had to go very early in the morning. I had never been a morning person, so I started complaining and asking questions. You said we had to go to a meeting and all was packed. I only needed to get dressed. You carried me to the car and told me to go back to sleep.

Five hours later I woke up to you shaking me. We were at the seaside! We couldn't stay long. We had to go back the next day but I couldn't believe you did it for me.

We spent the rest of the day on the beach. And in the evening, after dinner, we went for a walk on the private beach and made love under the stars; first on the soft sand and then in the sea. We were there all night. That was when I realized that I loved you. But I promised you I wouldn't fall in love with you, so I just swallowed the words. I almost choked on them. I knew you were thinking the same. I could read you like a book. And you knew I loved you. I was so scared you'd leave me. But you held me closer and I knew you would stay.

We fell asleep tangled with each other. We woke up at dawn and watched the sunrise. We headed back to the house and took a long shower together trying to get the sand out of unimaginable places. We left after breakfast with regret but happy we could have that short break away from everyone and everything. Do you remember?

Do you remember how happy we used to be?

**Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow, you boys and girls, thank you for the favourites and alerts! It makes me happy to know you like it enough to add it to your lists.**

**A special shout out to _Kessafan_ - thank you for your hard work and your patience. The story wouldn't be that good without you. You are one kick-ass beta and I love you and your stories!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I only like to play with them!**_

**Chapter 7 - Never Too Late**

We talk about our lives. And what has happened to the people from our past.

You ask if I keep in touch with them. My answers shock you. You find out about Lisa and Christian living not far from here; only an hour away. They got married but don't have any children.

Mia is in a country not too far away, but enough that we can't visit each other all that often. She's married and has two lovely girls. As a matter of fact, she was the first one of us girls to settle down.

You ask about Victor and his bar. You're surprised to find out it doesn't exist anymore. If only you knew what the bastard did after you left... I made sure to ruin him; you would have killed him. But I don't say much about, just warn you to stay away because he's not the friend you once thought he was. Not that you needed my warning. Sometimes I just forget what our current situation is.

We mention Mason and Ivan. Mason is dead. Do you remember what happened to Ivan? Something similar happened to Mason. I still believe it was my fault. The conversation turns awkward.

You ask about Adrian and how I met him. It was six years after you left. I had had enough of the plotting, the death traps and the pain. So I just upped and left. No one knew what I was planning; I didn't even tell my family until a week before I left, by then it was too late to change my mind and stop me.

I just didn't want to stay. I'd graduated university with honours. Had an accounts business set up; everything was legal. Well, as legal as it could get. But the relationships to the shady world of our past were not easy to shake off. Some of the people we used to deal with became my clients. But you know enough about money laundering and legalizing the illegal, so I don't have to explain much. I was under constant pressure. The stress was getting to me.

I thought I'd take some time off. Call it an extended holiday. I was planning on six months but six months flew by and I still didn't feel like going back. I was free of the restraints I'd been in most of my life. So the six months became a year... and that year soon became two.

I met Adrian six months after I moved here. We started as friends. Then one night we had drunk monkey sex. We started seeing each other; he was almost as perfect for me as you once were. I was planning on going back to my old life within the next six months and I tried to break it off, but he wouldn't have it and he wouldn't give up. So we just decided to stay together until it was time for me to leave.

He proposed on Valentine's Day. I know it sounds cheesy but he'd put a lot of effort and thought behind it.

I said yes.

I was tired of being alone. I loved him; not in the same way I loved you, but I did. He made me laugh and I felt almost whole again with him.

We got married in the summer, on a very hot July day with my friends and family. His family disinherited him because of it and I think to a certain degree he resents me for it. Things did get better with them when Eric Adrian was born, but not much.

We've been married for five and a half years now. But now it's all falling apart.

I ask about you and Tasha. You have two lovely boys. Lucky is seven and Valentine is one year old. I don't ask how you ended together; I know because I planned it all.

It's now my turn to be shocked... you aren't married. I ask you why. You take a moment too long. Then try to laugh it off... "You know me Roza; I was never one to want to get married, especially after the way my first marriage ended. And I never stopped hoping..." You don't finish the sentence.

We both know why. You never stopped hoping that I'll change my mind some day. It's all because of me. And the accusation is hanging there in the air. You couldn't bring yourself to marry Tasha but I married Adrian.

Oh boy, do I feel guilty. And then I say what is on my mind, you know what I am like with that non-existing brain-to-mouth filter of mine. "But you got with her long before I met Adrian!"

_That, and I thought you'd be better off with her at the __time, because__ she could give you children when I was told I couldn't have any._

"Yes..." You say. "...but you pushed me away and left me a long time before Tasha and I got together."

And then you ask the questions I am dreading. You want to know why, why I pushed you away and what made me do it. You want the truth.

"What is the point? It's too late, Dimitri! It could only hurt us more..."

"Oh, Roza, it's not too late. It's never too late!"

My heart gives a painful squeeze.

_Never too late..._

**Now, let's see who actually read the notes at the top and the bottom!**

**The chapter names in the story are all songs or part of songs I feel describe best the way Rose feels. There are some pictures to go with the story too.**

**Would you like to listen to the songs and see the pictures?**

**I thought I'd ask first instead of spending all the time required to set it all up and finding out afterwards no one wants to know about it.**

**So, if you are interested, review or PM me!**

**Lana**


	8. Chapter 8

**And Chapter 8 has arrived...**

**We will start finding out about Rose and Dimitri's past. This chapter isn't particularly disturbing but the ones to follow will be. Rose has got a brilliant but very sick and twisted mind. The story is rated ****M**** for a reason. And I can see some lemons in the near future.**

**Many thanks to **_**Kessafan**_** again for her awsome beta skills!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just enjoy playing with them!**_

**Chapter 8 – Trip The Darkness**

Where do I start with my story?

How can I explain it all to you?

You'll just have to be patient Dimitri, because it's going to be hard reliving it all. And follow my reasoning from start to end.

It will be painful for both of us; just remember you wanted to know all about it. I'll start from the beginning and finish with everything that happened after you left. I will answer all your questions but it is a long journey and it will take a while. It can't be done in one day; it will take weeks. And when it becomes too much, you'll just have to wait till the next time I am ready to continue.

*WWO*

It was all carefully planned and thought through, just like everything else you did. Drugs and weapons were your secret trade. The numerous clubs, hotels and security businesses you had set up were the perfect cover for it all, as well as doing the money laundering necessary to keep up appearances. All the money for your lifestyle had to come from somewhere.

You were paying off numerous people in Customs, the Police, even politicians to be left alone. When drugs and weapons were found they just ended up back in your hands; they just disappeared when sent to be destroyed.

It was almost perfect.

You were part of the Guardians. Your father; Anton Belikov was the head of the whole organization. The rest of them were the Dragomirs, Ozeras and the Dashkovs. Every single one of those families had a part in the well oiled machine of crime. The only thing you wouldn't touch was human trafficking and I was grateful for it; I don't think I could have been with you if you were part of that.

Another cartel moved in, the Strigoi. They started paying off people to do their dirty work too and having half of the country just wasn't good enough for them; they wanted _full_ control.

That is how the war started.

I wasn't clueless about the life you led; my best friend was Lisa Dragomir. Her boyfriend was Christian Ozera and Mia Rinaldi came from a family who worked for the Dragomirs. My ex-boyfriend Jesse Zeklos was a small fish swimming in those waters too. I knew of you, so to speak, but had never had a face to put to your name and family names were never mentioned when we first met.

Lisa wasn't exactly very happy when I got involved with you; she had a fit and didn't speak to me for a whole week. I understood _why_ she was worried but it didn't change anything. In the end she just gave up; realising that trying to convince _me_ to ditch _you_ was a lost cause. So she just had Andre and Christian have a talk with you. We had a laugh about it after it was over.

As for me, I came from a very well connected family. My father Abe didn't do anything illegal. He was a lawyer and he was one of the best. The Guardians used him and his company services. My mom, Janine, worked in the tax administration and kept out of it as much as possible but there wasn't much she wouldn't do for my father, so she would eventually let it slip when there was trouble coming our way from her corner of the world. No-one wanted to go to prison for unpaid taxes, that would have been just lame...

As government changed and the shift of power started, more deals were made, more people were bought and the Strigoi tried to pay their way to our destruction. Your illegal cargoes were targeted mercilessly and pressure started to build; we needed a new plan and we needed it as soon as possible.

I came up with the solution. We created a new company that in turn won a contract to dispose of old weapons, explosives and bullets for the army. At the same time, drugs were transported with those weapons. People really didn't want to disturb and stick their noses in things that could explode in their faces at any given moment. Plus, the authorities knew we were transporting weapons, so they didn't pay much attention. Throw some extra money in the mix and you had the perfect plan. That plan earned me something else too – Anton Belikov's respect; he finally accepted the fact I was more than just a pretty face.

At the same time it pissed off the Strigoi so much there were hits being put on our heads.

Do you remember the car accident? Well, everyone knew it wasn't really an accident. We were run off the road; the car ending up wrapped around a tree. Lisa and I were the only survivors. Andre, Eric and Rhea Dragomir all died in the wreck. Lisa had some minor injuries; they had to cut me out of the metal pretzel.

The extent of my injuries was unbelievable. I could cope with everything else apart from that one thing. Do you remember the doctor saying I'd lost one of my ovaries and the other one was left with scar tissue? They said I wouldn't be able to have any children... remember?

Up to that moment I hadn't even realized I wanted kids. I always thought we had time to decide on that one. I knew you wanted a big family but with the damage my body sustained, that choice was taken away from us... forever.

While I was slowly recovering in hospital, Christian's parents died in a fire. That hit me again. It was all falling apart and I started thinking we wouldn't make it out alive. I remember the numbness turning into blinding rage. It was poisoning my heart, my mind; consuming my whole being.

That's when I knew we needed a plan. We had to escape this life and this world of pain, violence and destruction. I didn't know how or when, but I promised myself I'd find a way to save our little group of friends. I'd do it even if I had to step over the mangled dead bodies of our enemies.

That was the day something snapped and changed in me, and my trip into the darkness started.

I have to stop here, Dimitri. I know it's difficult for you to read all of this but it's a lot more difficult for me to write it. You'll just have to take that trip down memory lane at _my_ pace...

_Follow me as I trip the darkness one more time..._

**I am disappointed of the lack of response to the story and the question I asked at the end of last chapter. So, leave me a review. I want to hear your thoughts about the it. Even if you hate it, I need to hear it, so I know where I am going wrong!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 has finally arrived!

Sorry for the late update but life has been keeping me very very busy.

A huge thank you goes again to **Kessafan** for her awesome beta skills.

**Warning: The chapter below contains mature scenes. Reader's discretion is advised!**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just like playing with them._

**Chapter 9**

"How about a midnight swim in the pool?" You grin.

"I don't think so, Dimitri. Not with all those people staying in the hotel!" I back away from you.

"They've all gone to their rooms. It's three o'clock in the morning, and it's my hotel!" I can see the devilish glint in your eyes.

"Na-ah!" I spin around in an attempt to run away.

Too late; you're too quick, your movement almost a blur. You pick me up and throw me in the swimming pool, jumping in right after me. I come up for air and try to swim away. I know you can catch me if you want to but I like entertaining the thought I can tease you for a bit. With your height and the length of your limbs... it's a child's game to you. You watch me for a minute as I swim as far away from you as possible with a lazy grin on your face.

Then you start after me. You catch up to me and a breathless laughter leaves my lips.

"Don't try to run away from me, Roza. You know I'll always catch you."

Everything is quiet and it's almost dark around us; the only light coming from the dim lights around the swimming pool.

"And how are you going to punish me now that you've caught me, Comrade?" I tease wrapping my legs around your waist.

"Oh, I've got a few things in mind," One of your hands travels up my leg to my ass while the other lets my hair out of the bun I had it in, "...but I'd rather _show_ you..." You pull me further up so you can kiss me.

I get lost in the feeling of your lips on mine and your tongue rubbing against mine. Your hand travels down my neck, than to the front and you palm one of my breasts, giving it a gentle squeeze. A moan leaves my lips and we break for air.

We are both soaked. There are water drops travelling down your face and your eyes are burning with a fire that never ceases to thrill me. I can barely make the lines of your face but I still can't help but ogle you. I have never, ever seen a man as beautiful as you.

Your eyes travel down to my breasts and a growl vibrates through your chest. I realize you are staring at my hardened nipples; my wet top and bra both cling to my body and hide nothing at all.

"What's the matter, Comrade? You see something you like?" I smile like the Cheshire Cat.

"Yes, I do... and I intend to show you how much right now..." Your voice is low and husky, the sound sending shivers down my spine straight to my core.

You kiss me again and I feel movement. I want to ask what you are doing but my mouth is busy and a moment later my mind is too preoccupied with the sensation burning my skin to care.

I feel the tiled wall of the swimming pool against my back; your hands are already tugging on my top. I probably would have protested that someone might see us but at the moment your mouth travels down my body and it closes over one of my nipples through the lace of my bra I lose the ability to think. Your mouth leaves my breast and the bra flies off somewhere.

I try to unbutton your shirt but I am too worked up to concentrate so I give up and just rip it open. My hands travel you perfect chest and abs. "Oh, God, I love your body!"

Next thing I know is I'm being lifted on the edge of the pool and you're pushing me to lie down. Your mouth leaves a burning trail down my stomach while you make quick work of my shorts and my underwear. I'm hyperaware of the cool night air on my wet skin. The tiles are cold underneath me, yet I don't feel cold through the heat of your touch. The fire your touch ignites in my veins keeps me warm.

You lift one of my legs. Your lips trail a burning path towards my centre as you pull me to you so my lower half is hanging just off the edge. You put my legs on your shoulders and your mouth is finally where I want it most. A long probing lick along my folds stops my breathing for a second. Then your tongue circles my entrance slowly before plunging in for a taste.

"Delicious," you moan. Your left hand travels up my body and starts playing with my nipple. Your tongue travels to my clit and at the same time one of your fingers enters me. My body lifts of the tiles and a needy sound escapes my lips.

"More..." is all I can gasp out.

Your fingers and mouth are magic. Soon enough you have worked me in a frantic mess, writhing on the tiles, moaning loudly. As you curl your fingers inside me, squeeze my nipple and suck hard on my clit simultaneously, I can't hold it in anymore. A loud scream leaves me as I hit my climax.

I haven't even come down from my high as you pull me off the edge back in the water and impale me on your cock, pushing my back against the wall of the pool for more support. My walls are still convulsing and I tighten around you even more from the sudden feeling of you buried so deep inside me.

You are still for a moment, giving me a chance to adjust around you. Then you kiss me and slowly and gently start moving in me. Your lips leave my mouth to let me breath and you lick your way down my neck and then to my ear.

"So tight and hot... You feel like heaven to me, Roza. I can't wait to hear you scream again." You start increasing the speed of our movements and I can't help but meet each trust, moving my body with you, against you, around you. I cling to your shoulders, my face buried in your neck while I frantically try to take you in deeper than ever before.

"Dimitri!" I'm sure all the people with rooms on this side of the hotel have heard my scream. I pulsate hard around you and I can feel the warmth as you cum deep inside me, the feeling eliciting another scream of your name.

**WWO**

That last scream startles me awake. I'm panting, covered in sweat and shaking in bed.

_Another dream._

I try to sneak out of the bedroom so I can calm down, but before I've managed to get to the door the light comes on.

"Rose, we need to talk!" I turn towards the voice and am startled by the look in Adrian emerald green eyes.

_Shit..._


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you for the reviews; you know who you are!_

_A huge thank you to __**Kessafan**__ for taking the time to beta this story_.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just like playing with them!_

**Chapter 10 – What have you done?**

I just know it will end up badly, so I try to get out of the confrontation.

"Not now, Adrian. We can talk in the morning."

"I don't think so, Rose. We will talk _now!" _I can see the determination in Adrian's eyes.

"Fine! Let's go downstairs; I don't want to wake Eric up." I sigh in exasperation and then under my breath, I add, "Just remember you wanted to do this, because you might live to regret it." Part of me hopes he missed the last part. No such luck...

"What was that, Rose? I didn't quite get it."

"Nothing, you want to talk, let's go downstairs and get it over with. Plus, I need a coffee and a cigarette to calm down..." _So I'm not too tempted to kill you... _The thought crosses my mind but I don't say it out loud.

Five minutes and a cigarette later we are sitting in the living room, a steaming cup of coffee in front of each of us.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I ask as calm as possible, "Spit it out, you know I'm not very patient at this time of the night." The cool night air has helped soothe my nerves somewhat.

"Rose, are you cheating on me?" The question is like a slap to my face and puts me on edge.

"_Me_? Cheating on _you?" _I ask in disbelief. "Are _you_ accusing _me_?" Adrian should have detected the mocking quality to my voice but as upset as he was, he somehow missed it.

"Well, Rose, what do you expect me to think? You sneak around, act all secretive, sometimes I can see you smile in a way I have never seen before and you're having all those dreams. Are you seeing Dimitri, Rose? When did you get in touch with him? How did you find him? How long has it been going on for? And before you try and deny it all, I have to tell you, you've started talking in your sleep. Do you know how it makes me feel to hear my wife scream another man's name?" _Oh, he's pissed off alright..._

"I am not cheating on you, Adrian! And I am not seeing Dimitri. I am talking to him, however, and he found me; not the other way around. There's nothing going on between us. The only thing he wants to know is why I did what I did all those years ago and I _owe him_ that much. I'm sure as soon as he knows the truth he'll disappear for good." '_Cause he'll hate me forever... _"As for the dreams, they're just flashbacks. I've suppressed all the memories for so long, they're all flooding back now and it happens in my sleep because I can't control what I dream."

"I want to believe you, Rose, but there's a part of me that doesn't buy what you say. Why didn't you tell me he's been in touch? And with all those secrets you keep from me about your past, how can I be sure you are telling me the truth?"

"I am keeping those secrets from you because they are not mine to tell. I gave Dimitri my word and I keep my promises. I can't tell you anything about his life at the moment either because I can't risk putting him in danger. The only thing I can tell you is that he's with someone else and has two lovely little boys with her, so I hope that puts your mind at rest. And don't forget I married you and we have a son together." I say, trying to reason with him again.

"I still don't believe you, Rose! You don't owe him anything; not after all that time. He broke your heart and I was the one who picked up the pieces and tried my best to put you back together, but you never let go of him... or your feelings for him. I am tired of being second best in your life! I get it, you were in love, you had a great relationship, but he still hurt you, Rose! Stop treating him like he's some sort of a God and worshipping the ground he walks on! He's just a man from your past."

He's really starting to piss me off now...

"I owe him everything, Adrian! And you do as well; if it wasn't for him you would have never met me in the first place. And if he wants to know the truth, that is what I am going to give him. I need to make it all better, I need to take his pain away, I need to try and repair the damage I've done in the past so we can both finally move on completely. And I'd very much like it if we could be friends after all that but I don't think it will be possible with you behaving like a cave man!" I am losing my temper now.

"Can you really move on, Rose? Or can he for that matter? I certainly wouldn't be looking for an ex-girlfriend of thirteen years ago, if I'd moved on. And no, I don't want him anywhere near you; I won't _let_ him take you away from me and I know you'll go running to him if he asks you to, if you haven't already!" Adrian is getting louder and louder.

"Oh, Adrian, please! I've got a family; _no one_ is more important to me than Eric and you should know that! Do you think I'll risk your lives, the lives of my friends and the lives of Dimitri's family? I'm _not_ a cheat Adrian, if I was to go running back to Dimitri, I'd leave you first!" My voice is just as loud as my husband's as I get angrier by the second and I hope he'll see reason before it all goes too far.

"So is that why you haven't been with him already, because of the danger? Or because you still live with me? Is that your way of telling me you're going to end our marriage? You won't let me anywhere near you, Rose; you haven't been with me for months! It doesn't matter if you are willing to admit it or not but he's already destroying our marriage just by talking to you!" OK, he's crossed the line this time.

"Dimitri doesn't need to do _any_thing to ruin our marriage; _you_ did that yourself so don't you try to blame it on me or anyone else! Do you think I don't know about your little flings and affairs? Do you think I don't know about _Camille_? _That's_ why I don't want you to touch me. The thought of you and I having sex after you've been with someone else disgusts me! _Your_ actions are the only reason you don't want to believe I am not fucking Dimitri... You think I screw around only because that's what _you_ do!" I am shaking now with my fists firmly clenched.

Adrian is quiet for a few minutes, just staring at me in disbelief. Then he collapses on the sofa and buries his face in his hands.

"How did you find out? How long have you known?" His voice comes out shaky.

"I've known for a long time, Adrian, almost from the very beginning. And how did I find out? Are you seriously asking me that question? I pay all the bills, do all the banking and repair all the computers and laptops in our household. How do you _think_ I found out, Adrian? Do you think I am blind, or just plain _stupid_? Do I have to remind you of my past or what I do for a living?" My voice has a bitter edge to it. "The _only_ reason I am still here is because of Eric; I didn't want to take his father away but I'm starting to think I made a mistake. You have the cheek to not believe what I say when you sit there and accuse me of cheating? Get a grip, Adrian!"

Adrian is strangely quiet for once, trying to process all the information I just dumped on him.

"I am sorry, Rose," he whispers. "I..."

"Sorry for _what_, Adrian? Sorry that you _cheated_, or are you sorry that I found out?" I interrupt him without even thinking about it twice. "The first time was just after Eric was born and I was having a rough time. I knew I couldn't give you what you needed, so I just sucked it up and carried on as normal. What about all the other times, Adrian? I was _never_ enough for you, was I?"

My now empty cup crashes in the wall behind him. I am losing my temper and I need to go out into the garden before I start breaking everything around me. As I try to flee, Adrian grabs my forearm and turns me around to face him.

"Wait, Rose! Please, let me explain!"

"There's _nothing_ to explain. You cheated multiple times and that's the end of the story; there isn't anything to explain and I don't want to hear it! Now, if you know what's good for you... _get your hands off me and let me go_!" I hiss completely enraged. Adrian listens to me for once. The only thing he says is: "Does that mean you want a divorce? Are you leaving me?"

I don't reply.

**WWO**

The next day I take some time off work, pack Eric and my bags and go to stay with Lisa. I still don't know what I am going to do but I'm sure I'll figure it all out; there's a plan already taking shape in my mind. Looks like Rose Ivashkov is leaving the scene and it's time for Rose Hathaway to come back.

My mobile rings but I let it go to voice mail. I listen to Adrian's panicked voice...

"_Rose, where are you? Please, don't do this, Rose! Come back... You can't just up and leave and take Eric with you. Rose, you know I love you. I'm sorry. Oh, Rose, what have I done...?"_

I press delete and turn my phone off.

Yes, Adrian, _what have you done?_

_What do you think is Rose's plan? What do you think will happen in the next chapter?_

_**Reviews make me happy and when I'm happy I update quicker :-)**_


	11. Chapter 11

Hi, everyone! Chapter 11 is finally here. I apologize for the delay but my awesome Beta has been busy and I didn't get the chapter back till few hours ago. I will reply to all your reviews shortly too.

A big thank you to **Kessafan** for beta'ing the story!

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy and its characters. I just like playing with them!**_

**Chapter 11 – Shot In The Dark**

I couldn't sleep at all that night. I finally gave up at 3 am and decided to get a coffee. I felt like going for a run but I couldn't just leave Eric like that, and I didn't have it in me to wake up Lisa and Christian. It turned out it wasn't necessary, I suddenly felt a presence behind me in the kitchen and almost jumped out of my skin; the kettle covering up the noise of footsteps I would have otherwise heard.

"Sorry, Rose, I didn't mean to startle you." Lisa's voice made me relax instantly.

"It's alright Liss, I wasn't really paying attention. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't wake me up, Rose. Adrian rang me earlier and didn't believe I didn't know where you were, so he kept on sending text messages after I forwarded all calls to voice mail."

"Oh, Lisa, why didn't you wake me up? You should have told me!"

"I thought you were asleep; I figured you needed as much rest as possible after the way you looked when you arrived today..." Lisa trails off. "You know you are welcome to stay as long as you want, no questions asked. And I'll be here when you are ready to talk about it. Just call Adrian, he's worried sick."

"About that... I think we better sit down. I have to tell you what's going on, so you know what you're getting yourself into; do you want a drink?"

Five minutes later we are sitting in the living room and I can't help but fidget; I'm suddenly lost for words and don't know where to start.

"Rose, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it." Lisa smiles at me.

"It's not that Liss. It's just that I don't know how to explain it all..." I look down at my feet, take a deep breath and just blurt out... "Adrian and I had a fight because I've been talking to, or rather emailing Dimitri."

Lisa jumps up at Dimitri's name, and then looks at me like I've gone insane: "Dimitri... as in Dimitri Belikov? I thought you didn't know where he was. You told me you stopped keeping tabs on him a long time ago. Why did you look for him?"

"Here's the thing: I didn't. He found me and he wants to know why I disappeared and cut all ties to him and you guys and I just couldn't say no. So we've been talking about the past and I started having all those flashbacks in my dreams. Do you remember how I used to talk in my sleep? Well, it's happening again and Adrian heard me." I can't help the blush creeping up my face. "That is how the fight happened. We were both angry, he said some really hurtful things and I lost it. I finally told him I know about him cheating, then I needed to get away to clear my head and I called you." I tell her all the details she wants to know and then try to judge her reaction.

Lisa is quiet for a minute, then looks at me with pity. "So what are you going to do now, and what can I do to help you? Oh, and I've got so many questions, you better get ready for a sleepless night!" Lisa grins and I feel a bit better.

"Well... don't want you to do anything. You know it won't be easy to get a divorce because you and I both know Adrian won't give up without a fight. He'll try and stall with marriage counselling and all that first and then try to threaten me he'll take Eric from me. My best bet it to go back and go through the counselling, _then_ file for divorce. The thing he hasn't considered yet is that there was a reason I wanted to get married back home. I'm sure my old man wouldn't mind coming out of retirement to help me out."

"Are you sure you can go back to him and play happy families? How are you going to cope? I know you have changed, Rose, but I don't think you have changed that much."

"Let me worry about that. If I could fake my boyfriend's death and keep everything else secret for thirteen years, I'm pretty sure I can handle Adrian." I smile bitterly.

"And that brings me back to all the questions I have," Lisa looks at me with curiosity burning in her green eyes and I know it will be hard to escape the interrogation. "So what's the deal with Dimitri? And do you know where he is? Are you going to get back with him? Do you know anything about Tasha?" Lisa's all of a sudden hyper and almost bouncing on the sofa.

"Wow, Liss, hold your horses! I am not getting back with Dimitri, I don't know where he is; I don't even know what name he uses nowadays. And Tasha... well, I don't know where she is but Dimitri does; they've got two boys together. I hope that answers your questions well enough for now." I would have laughed at Lisa's shocked expression if it wasn't for that little pang of jealousy and regret in my heart. She jumps and starts going on about how Christian will be thrilled about having nephews and seeing his aunt again... I don't want to dampen her mood but I know I have to stop her now.

"Lisa, stop! You can't tell Christian anything about it. I don't even know where they are and I'm not sure if it's safe to talk to or see them. You and I both know that Adrian will be snooping around now; if he finds out where they are it will give him what he needs to turn me into his puppet. Let me figure it all out first and make sure it's safe for all of us." I see the disappointment in her eyes and then understanding sets in.

"Sorry, Rose, I wasn't thinking; you're absolutely right."

"It's okay, Lisa, that's why I've always been the brains in all our plots," I grin and she smiles back. "Now, I need to ask you a favour: would you mind keeping an eye on Eric while I go for a run? I need to clear my head and think some details through."

"No problems but I have a few more questions first." I can see the wheels spinning in her head, "Why haven't you tracked down Dimitri yet? You're an IT security consultant and you have your own company, so forgive me if I find it hard to believe you can't find him?"

"As I said, first of all, I'm not sure it's safe for me to know where he is and second, Adrian was right: if I knew where he was and who he was, I would want to meet up with him. Adrian was right about something else too; I never stopped loving him or wishing I could change the past. I know Dimitri feels the same way, and then what about Tasha and their kids? What about everyone else? I can't ruin so many people's lives because of a desperate attempt to fix the wrongs I have made in the past. The other thing I know is that when Dimitri knows everything he'll never want to talk to me again"

"Rose, for once in your life you need to stop worrying about everyone else and put yourself first. If he is as miserable as you are, how is this right? Do you want to spend the rest of your life this way? You took his choice away from him thirteen years ago and look where you both are today. All I'm saying is... please, don't this to yourself or Dimitri. You are like two halves of the same, you can't be whole without him and I'm sure it's the same for him. There will always be something lacking in your life without him because no one else can give you what you need. I have never met two people with the same bond between you. Just think about it, please? Even if it feels like you're taking a shot in the dark, you owe it to yourself and Dimitri."

"I will, Liss. It's just too much to deal with at the moment. Just let me clear my head first." I turn around to put my running gear on but Lisa's words are still playing in my head.

_Yes, Lisa, it feels like a shot in the dark._

_Everything in my life feels like a shot in the dark right now and what is one more of those?_

==================WWO===================

_**I keep dropping hints to what has happened and what is going to happen and I can't wait to see if anyone has started picking up on the whole deal...**_

_**Review and let me know what you think!**_


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry about the delay but this chapter was tough to write. I only got it back few hours back and I have to tell you **Kessafan** is a great beta.

We get to hear from Dimitri in this chapter and I hope you like what's going on in his head.

Many thanks to all of you who reviewed and I hope you do it again after this chapter!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just like to play with them!_

**Chapter 12 – Lost**

**Dimitri's POV**

Rose. My Roza.

I couldn't believe it when I saw her picture in a magazine article about IT Security. And then it finally caught up to me – _Rosemarie Ivashkov, _not _Hathaway. _The instant jealousy I felt was like a knife through my heart; even after thirteen years I still thought of her as mine and the possibility of her being someone else's almost drove me insane.

I found her on Facebook.

Her profile was private so it didn't help me find out any more information about her then I already knew. So I created a profile under a fake name and sent her a friend request putting a picture of myself, although I didn't doubt she'd know it was me after taking one look at the name. And then I waited, hoping she'd accept. It wasn't till the next evening that she did and I couldn't hold back the grin that made its way on my face.

_Yes!_ _Now let's see if she'd talk to me!_

I felt disappointed looking at the time; she'd be asleep now, so we won't be able to chat. I snooped around her personal info instead and I felt the jealousy tugging at my heart again – married to Adrian Ivashkov, son Eric Adrian... My fears were confirmed.

I looked at her pictures next for answers to the new questions assaulting my mind. How does she have a son? Didn't the doctors say they didn't think it was possible for her to conceive? Was her son adopted?

But as soon as I looked at Eric Adrian's face there was no doubt he was hers. The shape of his face, the colour of his hair, his skin complexion... they were all the same as Rose's. The only difference was the colour of their eyes – his were emerald green while hers were the most beautiful brown I have ever seen...

More unanswered questions started bubbling up in my head. Questions only one person could answer. Looking at the time once more, I decided I had to somehow get her to talk to me. So I wrote her a message. I needed to tell her how I felt about her; it could be my last chance to get it out there. I knew where she was but not where she lived and I was certain she could disappear again if she wanted, so I finished the message with the words I should have said thirteen years ago – _I love you._

We started emailing often, remembering the past. I admit that it hurt when she ignored the fact that I admitted my feelings for her. She didn't speak about her husband a lot and didn't want to say much about her son either and it didn't take long for me to realize that there was something not quite right with her marriage. I wanted to know what it was but I couldn't ask her; she'd tell me in her own time.

I'd asked her to explain what happened – why did she change her mind and cut all contact with me. She was the most stubborn woman I'd ever met and once she made her mind up there wasn't much you could do about it. It was the one thing, in my mind, that confirmed my theory that something big and unexpected had happened and I really wanted to know what it was. I'd been left in the dark for too long and it was time she came clean.

Much to my relief she didn't run off and agreed to it; but asked me to bear with her and do it at her own pace. She started her story and then just dissolved in thin air.

*WWO*

I haven't heard from her for ten days now. To say I'm worried would be the understatement of the century; I am going out of my mind!

Is she running away again?

Has something happened to her?

Is she OK?

I'd sent her a few more messages, then emailed her but still got no reply. I'd started considering catching the first flight over there and trying to find her but decided against it – looking for someone in a city of six million people is time consuming and not easy; I settled for calling her at work. It was like trying to fight my way through an army of cut throat, armed to their teeth henchmen – that PA of hers sure knew how to do her job. I'd given up and left a message with her; a message I knew Rose would understand.

I haven't done much work so far today. It is a good thing I am working on some photographs and paintings for a future exhibit I am planning and not designing a new look or a creating a character for one of my clients. I soon give up and decide to just grab my laptop and do some photo editing in a nearby Starbucks with a view to the park. I can sit outside and enjoy the sun too that way; hopefully that will help me calm my nerves.

A few hours later, as I am finishing a set of pictures and pleased with my work, my thoughts return to Rose. I absent-mindedly close the programme and about to turn my notebook off when my eyes land on a folder I am sure was not there before.

_What the fuck?_

_Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses... _Yes, definitely not mine. I open the folder and find two files inside – '_Black Magic Girl'_ and '_I__nstructions'._

_Oh, hell, screw the instructions! _I try opening the other file but it is password protected. _Looks like I'll have to read the instructions after all..._

"_**The password to the other file is the name of the Goddess your name originates from. You only have three tries, use them wisely**__" - is_ the only text in the file.

My heart speeds up as I realize this had to be Rose's doing. Demeter (or Demetra) has to be the password. _Bingo!_

"_**Don't call again. Don't write in Facebook. Don't email me."**_

My heart drops.

"_**Adrian is snooping around. De-friend me now."**_

Alarm bells start going off in my head. What is going on? Is she cutting me out of her life again?

"_**Delete the instructions file and use the same password to protect the folder. Then create a new file with the name Black Magic Girl 1. Use the name of the place where we met as the password. All files from now on will have that password until I tell you to change it. You'll get further instructions immediately if you answer correctly this question: What is the name of the so called Black Magic Girl? Think back and you'll remember, I've given you enough clues. You have one hour from the moment you opened this file. I'll be waiting."**_

I've done everything else, so now for the file. Black Magic Girl 1, password Vladimir's. Black Magic Girl, Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses... _Hecate, that's it!_

I type it in, save the file and wait impatiently, keeping an eye on the new folder.

Ten minutes later there is a new file in the folder: BMG2. There is a phone number inside, a different e-mail address and a fake Facebook profile.

**Please, only call in case of an emergency or if you don't have internet access. The e-mail and Facebook profile are brand new and no one else knows about them. The safest way for contact with me is a new file in the folder on your desktop. I've seen you use Skype, please don't if you can help it.**

**Don't use my real name. Call me Hecate only.**

**I know you have lots of questions but I can't answer them right now. All you need to know is that I am fine and there's no reason for you to worry. I apologize that I'm invading your privacy but I don't have any other choice.**

**If you don't want to talk to me any longer, just say so.**

**And I love you too.**

**Hecate**

She was lost to me for thirteen years and now she thinks I won't want her and let her slip away again? Not a chance! Not after she just admitted she still loves me!

I want her back; I can't live with just the memories of her anymore... I've been losing my mind thinking about her for thirteen years, thinking she was gone forever.

But she's _not_ lost to me... Not now, not ever again!

"_Tell me more. I want to know what is going on. I love you!"_goes in file BMG3 and I can't help but grin.

_You really need to show me some love here guys, 'cause I'm not feeling it. More reviews get you more of Dimitri, and who doesn't like that hot Russian God!_

_Review, or I'll make Dimitri suffer!_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 is finally here. I know it's been longer than usual and I apologize but I lost a friend of mine at the age of 28 and needed some time to deal with it. That is the reason I haven't personally replied to your reviews this time too.

A big thank you to **Kessafan** for beta'ing this story. Sandy, if you are reading this, I hope you will update _**Achilles**_ again soon!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters; I just love playing with them!_

**Chapter 13 – Buried Alive**

**Rose's POV**

As I suspected, my run had helped me clear my head. I'd gone back to Lissa's with my mind made up about the future and what I wanted. I knew I couldn't stay with Adrian but I also realized something else – his parents would always stand up for him with all the money, influence and connections behind them and if taking Eric away meant making me miserable for the rest of my life, then that's what they'd do; I was in for one hell of a battle.

There was no doubt that he had already brought them up to speed on the recent events in our marriage; the only thing I hoped for was that he hadn't included Dimitri in the whole mess. I also knew that I'd made a huge mistake telling Adrian he was still alive. He didn't know any details about his location or his new name, and I intended to keep it this way. But bringing him up could _help_ me as well – when it came to our divorce hearing, it could convince the judge that he was mentally unstable; accusing his wife of having an affair with someone who has been declared dead and buried ages ago, well it could hardly work in Adrian's favour.

There was a reason why we got married in Russia too and only in a Registry Office; the laws there worked in favour of the wife and mother. A divorce normally ended with the woman getting full parental responsibility and rights of any resulting children and swiping her ex-husbands bank accounts clean. The second one was the least of my concerns but the thought that he won't get to meddle in my business or life after everything was said and done was helping me feel better about the whole situation. The only chance he had was if he could prove I wasn't fit to be a mother and I'd had an affair and I wasn't planning on giving him any opportunity to do any of those things.

I'd called Adrian and told him that I'd be back home in a few days but refused to tell him where I was. I needed the time to finalize some details of my plan and track down Dimitri. It wasn't only that I wanted to know where he was, I needed to know where he was and the name he was using. I didn't doubt Adrian will try to read any e-mails I received or try to snoop around my Facebook friend list, so without de-friending Adrian or Dimitri, I'd just put them both in my restricted list and changed my privacy settings even further.

I wasn't concerned about any messages exchanged between us on Facebook, I'd made sure I deleted them all and cleared all history. Tracking someone there who was using a fake profile was almost impossible. The next thing I did was log into my e-mail and get the full headers of the e-mails Dimitri send me that enabled me to track his IP address. From that point on it was just a waiting game – I needed him to do something and leave one port open so I could sneak in... and he did. Skype was how I got in.

As most of the laptops nowadays, the option for remote access was on and once I got the passwords that I needed I could access his laptop regardless of where he was. That also gave me access to a lot more information about him and his life at that moment. I didn't make my presence known to him immediately, wanting to find out how he would react to me disappearing and how far he'd go to get in touch with me.

That, and I had more pressing issues on my hands.

I'd gone back home, even when it was the last thing I wanted to do. I'd sat down and told Adrian I wanted to try and work out our problems and try to save our marriage; I offered that we start marriage counselling to help put his cheating behind us.

I'd lied through my teeth the whole time, every single lie leaving a burning taste in my mouth and making me feel sick.

The next day I spoke to Abe and sent, by courier, a signed affidavit and a Power of Attorney letter giving him the right to act on my behalf together with all the documents I had piled up to prove Adrian's numerous affairs. The old man was furious and promised me Adrian won't have anything left when he was finished with him; I knew there was a reason he was the only immediate family member I loved so much. I also trusted him with my life and knew he'd never betray me.

After ten days though, I was itching to talk to Dimitri again and what finally pushed me to do it, was the message he left with my PA. She said he was absolutely furious he couldn't get past her and also desperate to talk to me and I couldn't help but smile. So I decided it was time to put him out of his misery.

He didn't disappoint me and quickly worked out all the answers. I'd brought him up-to-date with all events of the past ten days and my plans. I was pleased he couldn't contain his excitement at the fact I was getting divorced; he sounded hopeful for a future together too.

I also found out that Dimitri and Tasha were only together for the sake of their kids. He felt much the same way I felt and I knew for a fact it wasn't a happy place to be. I also knew I needed to tell him the main reason I didn't follow him and find out if he could ever forgive me for taking his choices away from him. It was only a little part of the whole picture but by far the most important piece of the puzzle.

I told myself it was time and it didn't matter if he hated me or not. It wasn't all about me, it never has been. So I put together a little slide-show for him with all the pictures I had, adding dates, places and names and a few personal messages and thoughts in the beginning and end of it and worked up the courage to load it on his hard drive. By the end of it I was sweating, hyperventilating and having an almost fully blown panic attack.

While I was waiting for his reply, which couldn't come fast enough, I couldn't help but feel much in the same way I felt thirteen years ago – stuck in a hopeless situation; hurting the people I love while hurting myself. I was still lying through my teeth, angry, upset and feeling like there was no end to the suffering in my life or the suffering I brought on others. I had to put an end to it all and do it very, very soon. All this misery and darkness was killing me.

The next song on my play list hit too close to home for comfort.

_**Hey, I can't live in here for another day**_

_**Darkness has kept the light concealed, grim as ever**_

_**Hold on to faith as I dig another grave**_

_**Meanwhile the mice endure the wheel, real as ever**_

_**And it seems I've been buried alive**_

_Yes, it feels like I've been buried alive..._

=================WWO====================

**In the next chapter we finally get to find out some of Rose's secrets. I know for sure Dimitri's in for the shock of his life. I am working on it at the moment, so...**

**Review if you want to read it soon!**


	14. Chapter 14

**I apologize for making you wait so long for this update. I could say many things in my defence but would rather not and will just get on with the chapter.**

**Many thanks to those of you who reviewed - you made me happy and put a smile on my face! I hope you will continue reading the story. I am also aware that I have not replied to Chapter 13's reviews and hope to be able to get to it shortly.**

**This chapter isn't beta'ed, so please forgive any mistakes.**

**The usual disclaimer is in force. I don't own the VA characters, just this story line.**

**Chapter 14**

**DPOV**

I stared at the screen in disbelief for the third time in a row; I just couldn't believe my eyes and although I could see everything clearly my brain just couldn't soak up and comprehend the information Rose had finally revealed to me.

I closed the laptop softly and just sat there staring at nothing, numb. I didn't realize I had started shaking until I went to pour myself a shot of Russian vodka; the tremors shaking my body were so violent I gave up on the glass and drank straight from the bottle.

As the alcohol warmed up my body, it all finally started to sink in.

_I__ have a daughter. No, scratch that, Rose and I have a daughter._

And she was beautiful. The perfect combination between Rose and me. At the age of twelve she was already almost as tall as Rose was.

I had missed on so much of her life. How could Rose not tell me about her? The more I thought the more upset I got. A sudden wave of undiluted rage almost drowned me as realization hit: she had never planned on following me when I left, never thought she'd see me or speak to me again. She had given me up the moment she left our apartment that morning thirteen years ago.

The more I thought, the angrier I got – with my own stupidity and the fact I had been so blind. I should have seen the signs; they were all their but I had been to occupied with everything else to notice what was going on with the only person who truly mattered to me. I got angry with Rose for deceiving me so easily, even though I knew she'd had her reasons and it couldn't have been easy on her.

As one more thought became crystal clear in my mind, the rage became an inferno colouring my vision in red – Tasha had been in on the whole plan. I wanted to go home and shake the truth out of her but for the sake of the kids checked in in a nearby hotel. I knew I'd have to wait till the morning for that confrontation.

More and more thoughts crowded my mind – Rose had met my mother and my sisters, my grandmother. How much did they know? They obviously knew our daughter, but did they know she was mine and Rose's? Had Yeva "seen" it all? When my mom and dad got divorced all those years ago, my mom took my sisters and moved back to Baia; I'd hardly seen them since. My dad bullied

her into leaving me with him and I'd never forget the day they left and all the tears they all cried.

I knew Mark and Oksana from the few visits my dad had allowed through the years when I was still growing up, but didn't know Oksana was Rose's aunt. And how did Rose manage to hide Dimitriya's existence from everyone? There was no trail left of her ever having another child or even being pregnant.

My head was reeling with all those questions I didn't have the answers to. I needed to see Rose. We needed to talk face to face after I had my little chat with Tasha, which meant I needed another day here and I had to spend another day travelling. I booked a ticket with the first airline I could find to Rose's city of choice and thought about calling her but decided against it; that would give her a chance to persuade me not to go and then hide and I chose not too. I knew there will be hell to pay once her shock wears off but this was the only way I was going to see her.

I created a new file and I wrote inside: _**I'll be in touch shortly. Give me some time to come to terms with everything. But Hecate, we need to talk. Soon.**_

Then I texted Tasha that I've been held up working on something and I'll be home in the morning. I also told her to take the day off, so we can spend it together.

**WWO **

I drove home the next morning, trying to mentally prepare for what was to come. I made a mental list of all the things I wanted to get out of Tasha. As I parked the car, I was happy to see that she'd left to take the boys to school and nursery and looking at the time I was glad I'd be alone in the house for at least half an hour before she got back.

I went straight upstairs and packed a suitcase with all the things I'll need for a week. After a quick shower I made my way back downstairs and cooked some breakfast, made some coffee and settled to wait for Tasha's return. I didn't want her to suspect _anything_ till I started asking the questions.

It wasn't long till I heard the front door open and close and then: "Dimka, I am home!"

"In the kitchen," I heard her footsteps coming closer "I cooked us breakfast."

We made small talk while we ate our food but I couldn't help zoning in and out of the conversation. As I got up to clear the dishes away, I could feel Tasha's eyes on my back.

"So, Dimka, what are we doing today?"

"We need to talk, Tasha" I turned around to look at her and by the impression on her face I knew she could tell something was up. "I need some answers about what happened thirteen years ago and exactly what part you played in it and you are going to tell me _everything _you know."

"So the little bitch has finally been in touch," Tasha sneered. "I knew she wouldn't keep her promise to stay away forever."

"Don't call her that," I shot back angrily. "And what do you mean she promised you to stay away?"

"I mean exactly that, Dimka. She let you go. She came to me and told me she was giving you up; that I could have you. I only had to make sure you wouldn't go back for her."

Shock shot through my system and I knew she was telling the truth but somehow I didn't want to believe it. "And why would she do that? She loved me and she still does!"

"Precisely the reason she did it. She loved you too much and she thought you'd never be happy without kids in your life. So she let you go, she let me take you away. She could see I loved you and I could give you kids."

"How could you agree to that, Tasha? As my friend, you should have told me what she was planning. You say you love me, yet you could have put a stop to all my misery and torture a long time ago but chose not to! This is not love! You don't love anyone but yourself..." I turned to leave the room but Tasha's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"It was the only way I could be with you, why can't you see that Dimka? You would have never left her. My only chance was to make her let you go. When I got back after Christian's parents died in the fire, she was so vulnerable, scared and insecure. I took a chance and played on her insecurities. And it worked, Dimka... You spent thirteen years with me, we have too beautiful children. Why isn't it enough for you? What did she tell you? Why did she find you..." At this point I just had to cut her off.

"Tasha, just stop! She didn't look for me. She didn't find me. I did!" My anger finally got the better of me and my fist went straight through the kitchen door. "You should know Rose better than this after all the time you spent convincing her to leave me and make my life a living hell. There are many things that Rose can be blamed for but breaking her promises is not one of them!" I took few deep breaths in and exhaled slowly. "I will be away for the next four days at least. I have some business to take care of. We will talk about it when I come back, I have a plane to catch."

I changed quickly and headed to my car. As I slammed the door shut, I could hear Tasha's sobs from the kitchen but somehow couldn't bring myself to care...

**WWO**

The plane ride was hell. All eight hours of it. I tried to get some sleep but my brain was working overtime and wouldn't slow down.

Bleary eyed and extremely tired, I finally got off the plane, got a rental car and checked in a hotel close to Rose's office. After a quick shower, exhaustion finally took over and I managed to sleep for three hours.

A full English breakfast and two coffees later. I parked opposite Rose's building and settled to wait. At 7.55 a BMW pulled in the car park. It was silver and build for speed. I wasn't surprised when I saw her familiar silhouette behind the tinted glass. As I hurried out of the car picking up my laptop bag in the process, I noticed another car pulling in after Rose's. The glass tint was too dark making it impossible to see the person driving it and it was in this very moment I realized how stupid I had been.

_Too late now, I'll just have to see it through and hope Rose is not too mad._

I had almost reached her car when she got out wearing a pair of sunglasses, her hair up in a tight bun and a pencil skirt and jacket that made her look absolutely stunning. I didn't even realize I had stopped breathing until I had to call after her as she purposefully started making her way to the building's entrance.

"Mrs Ivashkov," the named left acidic taste in my mouth, "Mrs Ivashkov!"

She froze mid-step for no longer than a tenth of a second and then turned around in a fluid motion so fast and unexpected, it almost made me take a step back. Her lips forming a shocked "O", she looked at me and I could feel the air around her vibrating with her fury. That, however, didn't stop her as she made her way to me and extended her small hand in my direction.

"Mr Freeman, Mr Ewan Freeman, right? Nice to meet you. I wasn't expecting you **so early** but seeing as you are here, shall we take this inside?" The firm handshake made me want to rub my hand but I ignored the pain. She was mad but she wasn't running.

_My Roza._


	15. Chapter 15

_**And here is the next chapter.**_

_**Special thanks to jmcfall for being a loyal reader, to Comrade for leaving me such an emotional review, and to Rose Melissa Ivashkov for all fourteen of her reviews and all the great things she said about the story and my writing. You give me the motivation to carry on!**_

_**This chapter isn't beta'ed, so all mistakes are my own.**_

_**The usual disclaimer applies: I do not own VA, just the story line.**_

**Chapter 15**

**DPOV**

As we walked briskly into Rose's company building, I started wondering if she was as unaffected by our brief touch as she seemed to be. Although the handshake has been firm and almost painful, I had felt the all too-familiar tingling sensation running through my body. It almost felt like static electricity shock but to me it was pleasurable and welcome; it meant we still had the same connection we did thirteen years ago. Didn't Rose feel it or was she really that mad that her anger overcame every other sensation?

As we got in the lift and she pressed the top-floor button, she took her sunglasses off and turned around to face me. It was the first time I had the chance to see her whole face and her eyes. She looked more mature but that just added to her appeal. My eyes roamed her body and I realised she looked even slimmer than she was when we were together. She also had dark circles under her eyes and I could see just how stressed out and exhausted she was.

I saw her look at me, really look at me for the first time since I ambushed her outside and her expression changed to relief, like she almost couldn't believe I was standing there unharmed in front of her. And then she suddenly remembered she was angry with me and her whole body tensed.

"I don't know if I want to hug you or slap you, or both" her voice was so low, I don't think she actually meant for me to hear it. Then she spoke a bit louder "So what exactly are you doing here D..., Mr Freeman?"

Her manicured finger lightly touched her lips and I couldn't help the desire that shot through my body. I wanted to kiss her and tell her the truth but I heeded her warning.

"Mrs Ivashkov," there's that name again that made me feel like I've been slapped, "I have been trying to convince your secretary for a few months to let me talk to you. When I finally managed to sneak past her, you refused to work with me and my company. I am not willing to accept no for an answer and I thought that I might be able to convince you to work with me if I made a personal appearance. As I said, someone is leaking out information and I really don't know how to deal with that. You are the best in your field of work and I am not willing to let anyone else handle the matter."

"As I have already told you, I have too much work. My employees can't handle another case right now and to be honest your company is based half way across the world. Someone will have to travel all the way there and stay until this is all solved and I don't know how long it will take. And there is the fact I don't know anything about your local legislation..." She trailed off, implying that she wanted me to drop it and leave. I hadn't come all the way here to be kicked out. Dangerous or not, we were going to talk and I was going to convince her she had to be the one to travel half way across the world and stay with me for a while.

The lift stopped and she got out before me with a loud sign. "Sydney, this is the very persistent Mr Freeman." She nodded in my direction and I looked to see if her PA was as scary in person as I would have expected. I was surprised to see a blonde woman around Rose's age behind the desk. She gave a polite nod in my direction but didn't say anything to me. "Cancel all my appointments, and call Mr Castile. I want him to join us in an hour and I need his opinion on what is legal and what not in Canada. I also want him to draft an initial contract with Mr Freeman's company the terms of which we can discuss later. Mr Freeman and I will be in the meeting room." Rose quickly made her way to the door on the left.

"Take a seat, Mr Freeman. Let's get the formalities out of the way first – I'd much rather you call me Rose than Mrs Ivashkov and I was wondering if you'd mind if I called you Ewan?"

"Of course not, Rose" I grinned at her and I saw her draw a breath in. "I am glad you are even considering taking on the work. I have to tell you I have one condition, however – you have to be the one to deal with my company."

An exasperated sigh left her lips. "Ewan, do you even realise what you are asking of me? I have a company to run and a son to take care of..." She trailed off and I noticed she didn't mention her husband. "I am not sure I can meet that condition. I can come for a week at the most to initially set up things but I might have to send someone else after that." Her eyes were hard and I realised that was the best offer I would get.

"I agree" I looked at her and saw a flicker of amusement appear in her eyes. "I can tell you are not willing to compromise on this one."

She grinned a full smile and pressed a button. "Sydney, can we have some coffee and a few bottles of water. Please call and check if Mr Castile is ready to join us. Also, call Hilton and see if we can have a conference room and make dinner reservations for two. Call Danielle and tell her I need her to pick Eric up and babysit for me tonight."

"Yes, Mrs Ivashkov. Do you want me to call Mr Ivashkov as well, you have plans tonight at 7 with him?"

"No, Sydney. I'll call Mr Ivashkov. I'll be going out for lunch and won't be coming back to the office after that. That would be all for now."

Rose stepped out of the meeting room for a few minutes and by upset look on her face the conversation with her husband hadn't gone very well.

Five minutes later Eddie Castile entered the meeting room followed by Sydney and the requested drinks. There was a look of disapproval written all over his face and it looked like he was prepared to argue with Rose but seeing she had already made her mind up, there wasn't much he could do.

We discussed the contract and the terms and just as we were finishing up, we could here some raised voices outside than a crash and a man flew in through the door.

Rose immediately shot out of her chair and I did the same making my way protectively in front of her by the force of habit. The man was few inches shorter than me with broad shoulders but quite slim build. His brown hair was messy and his emerald green eyes were trained on me as realisation hit and recognition lit them up.

Sydney followed in right behind him. "I am sorry Mrs Ivashkov, I tried to explain you were in a meeting but your husband wouldn't hear it..."

"It's OK, Sydney. Eddie, we are pretty much finished here. Why don't you keep Mr Freeman company while I speak to Adrian." Rose made her way around me and although every fibre of my being screamed to stop her, I knew I had to keep out of this one. It didn't stop the jealousy that stabbed my heart or the desire to lunge at him for marrying my woman and treating her like shit.

Adrian Ivashkov's eyes never left my face as he spoke through gritted teeth "I think it's best if we stayed here and Mr Castile left. I believe Mr Freeman should stay. After all, that conversation concerns him too."


	16. Chapter 16

_**As you can see, I am still alive. I apologise for not updating but life has kept me away with hospital stays and other unpleasant events. So, without further delay, I present you with the next chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy, just this story line.**_

**Chapter 16**

**DPOV**

Well, hell, I didn't see that one coming! I braced myself for the shit storm that we were all about to endure. My gut was telling me it was about to be like a very turbulent flight that should have been cancelled due to a hurricane. Rose's shoulders sagged in defeat for a fraction of a second before she straightened up to her full height, her body preparing itself to hold off the mental strain she was about to endure. Never, ever have I felt more helpless than in that moment. All I wanted to do was pick her up, fling her over my shoulder and take off like a bat out of hell.

"Adrian, this has nothing to do with Mr Freeman here. Before you so rudely interrupted, we were discussing a contract between our companies." - Rose's voice was laced with annoyance, although she was making a huge effort to keep the venom out of it. It seemed almost like she was trying to placate an irritable three-year old child and were the circumstances not so bleak, I would have laughed.

"I would have believed it if it were anyone but _him_ standing in your meeting room. You wouldn't have cancelled counselling and dinner plans for anyone else but _him_." Adrian's green eyes, blazing with searing hate, landed on me. "I'd say it's nice to meet you, _Dimitri_, but that would be a lie and you and I both know we are way past those pretences by now. What the hell are you doing here, trying to steal _my_ wife?" Oh, if looks could kill! I opened my mouth to reply but one look from Rose made me shut it and swallow the sarcastic remark I was about to blurt out.

"Adrian, _Mr Freeman_ genuinely needs my company's services. We don't owe you an explanation for our business arrangements." Rose was still calm but her tone was so cold, if I were Adrian I'd back off. I had heard that chill in her voice before, just before she tortured Jesse to the point of insanity, promised him to make all the pain would go away if he were to co-operate, only to put a bullet through his head as soon as she had the information she wanted. Adrian was not that wise.

"Yes, and throughout the rest of the day, dinner and quite possibly the rest of the night you are going to talk strictly business." The sarcasm was thick. "There is only one thing I am sure of – you would have never told me he was here hadn't I worked it out by myself."

"By yourself? Adrian, did you really think I hadn't noticed your goons following me around for the past week?" Rose raised one eyebrow. "Or the fact that security found bugs in my office? Nice to know that while I offered marriage counselling and was prepared to forgive your cheating ways, you had so much fate in me, you felt the way to show it was to have me followed and spied on. I think we are done with this conversation for now, unless you are absolutely certain you want to make a bigger fool of yourself." She gestured to the meeting room door, clearly expecting him to scraper off.

"Not before I say a few things to _Mr Perfect_ over here." Rose started protesting but Adrian held up his hands in surrender. "I know, I know. I don't have the right to judge or demand explanation but I feel some things need to be said. You will do as you please no matter what I want or say, Rose. Just... hear me out." He ran his hands through his hair, then down his face as if he was trying to find the right words. His expression changed from resigned to fuck you and he rounded on me. "I need you to understand something, Belikov. She's mine and I won't just sit around while you sweep her off her feet and take her away from me. You gave up on her so long ago, hurt her so much. I was the one who picked up the pieces and put her together as best as I could. Do you even know what happened after you left her behind? Do you know about the eating disorder, the depression, the substance abuse? She was so broken, so lost when I met her but recovering. I was smitten with the beautiful woman who had the strength to save everyone she loved but herself. Do you know about the nightmares that plagued her for years? Where were you when she needed to be held and comforted? Where were you when she needed saving?"

"Adrian, stop!" Rose tried to push him out of the room but he was holding his ground. Her little fist started to beat on his chest but there wasn't force in her movements, just so much pain and desperation, that for the first time after he started his speech I saw a glimpse of the broken woman he was telling me about.

"I know Rose settled for me because she couldn't have you. What you need to realise is that she loves me too, not as much as she loved you but she does. She's too stubborn to admit that you are an arrogant ass hole, who took everything away from her and mangled her body and soul so badly she almost died. Why are you back, Dimitri? The damage you inflicted wasn't bad enough and you want to finish the job? You are a selfish prick who shouldn't be allowed to breathe the same air as this amazing woman. She worships the ground you walk on when it should be the other way around." He was holding both of her wrists with one hand and Rose looked like she wanted to get away.

"Enough!" I growled, my eyes trained on Rose who was trying desperately to contain her tears, judging by the silent sobs rippling through her body. "You claim you know everything but clearly have no idea what you are talking about. You claim to love her, yet you are hurting her. I came here for business and closure. _Rose_ abandoned _me_, not the other way around, without explanation, without reason. I am the one who's been left hanging for over thirteen years and I am here to get answers. She was _mine_ before she was _yours _and I have every right to demand the truth for what she did. Get your hands off of her before I remove them for you." I moved across the room towards them and he let go of Rose; she stumbled back and I reached out to pull her to me. She buried her face in my chest, shaking violently. "Shhh, it will be OK, милая!"

A sob finally escaped her, "Adrian, leave now..." Her voice was low and broken, the sound muffled by my chest, "you've said enough. I can't deal with more right now." The pained look on his face told me he was already regretting his words. "Rose, shit..." He touched her shoulder and she froze. I instantly stepped back, taking her with me. "I'm sorry, Rose," he raked his fingers through his hair, "I didn't mean to. Let me take you home..."

"No," Rose turned around to look at him, "I am not going anywhere with you. Go home and don't wait up for me. I will see you in the morning." Her voice rang with finality that was scary, the steel resolve was back in it. "Sydney, Eddie! Mr Ivashkov is leaving, make sure he's escorted out of the building and is not allowed back inside." She hadn't even stopped talking when Mr Castile burst through the door with two security guys and started dragging a protesting Adrian out. "Eddie, close the door on your way out."

Mr Castile threw a disapproving look our way, his eyes raking over our tangled bodies, before muttering something unintelligible under his breath as he left.

Rose sniffled before snapping at me. "Now, Dimitri, do you understand why turning up like that was not a good idea? What the hell possessed you to do that?" She took a deep breath in and as she exhaled slowly, she slumped into the nearest chair. "Looks like it's time for plan B." She buried her face in her palms, the tears she'd been holding in escaping her at last.

There was only one thing I could do to comfort her. I picked her up and sat down, pulling her on my lap, stroking her back and murmuring sweet nothings in Russian. When her tears dried off, I pulled her face up to mine so she could look into my eyes.

"I promise you I'll never leave without you again, I will never leave you behind. Whatever happens, I'll stay by you until you tell me to leave, whatever needs to be done, we'll do it together."

"Don't," she touched my face ,"make promises you might not be able to keep. You might not want to be anywhere near me when you know everything." I opened my mouth to talk but Rose just put her finger on my lips. "Shhh, let's get out of here."


	17. Chapter 17

_**I don't have any words of wisdom to share today, I'm afraid. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter because the next one might not be that much fun.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy, just this story line.**_

**Chapter 17**

**RPOV**

It was terrifying. I really didn't need Dimitri showing up like that, out of nowhere. I had to admit I expected it on some level but I had hoped he wouldn't as much as that pained me.

The confrontation with Adrian, the broken me, the tears and then Dimitri protecting me, comforting me, making a promise he might not be able to keep – it had all been too much in a very short time. I was overwhelmed by a tidal wave of contradicting emotions.

After I fixed my make up, we left the building. One tail, courtesy of Adrian and family was still in the car park and my control snapped, again. I walked back into the building, Dimitri following me without a word but raising an eyebrow in question. The main area receptionist and one of member of the security team were huddled together, no doubt gossiping about the eventful day they'd had, and my bad mood spiked to a whole new level.

"Turner, I don't pay you to chat all day. Get off your ass and go check the black SUV and its occupants. They've been there all day. I want to know as much as possible about them but don't let them leave the premises. Keep them busy." I snapped. "Alicia, call the police. That car has been following me around for days." My sharp tone seem to get them moving faster than anticipated and although I despised my waspish demeanour, I kind of felt like they deserved it too. I made to leave the building but Dimitri's warm hand on my elbow pulled me to a stop.

"Rose, where do you think you are going? Stop for a minute and breathe! You need to calm down, milaya." If it were anyone else telling me what to do, I would have no doubt given them a lashing; Dimitri, however, had always been able to calm me down. Sensing there would be no argument, Dimitri turned me towards him completely and started rubbing from my shoulders down to my fingertips and then back up, repeating the process again. I concentrated on the feeling of his touch and paced my breathing with his until I could feel some of the tension leaving my body. Dimitri's fingers gently brushed my cheek, "Rose, you don't think clearly when you are so worked up. Talk to me, milaya. What are you thinking?"

"We need to lose those clowns, comrade. I was doing a very good job making them follow me to the most boring places and wait around before you showed up but I don't want them following _us_ around. What I am about to tell you has to be for your ears only."

"So you are using the cops as a diversion?" Dimitri laughed, the sound sending little shocks of warmth somewhere deep inside me, waking up something long dormant, making me smile in response. "_Amazing," _I thought_, "__I am happy after everything that I've been through today and in the last thirteen years and he's only been around for a day_. _How is that even possible?"_

"They are hardly going to arrest them but they'll keep them busy long enough for us to lose them." I pulled out my mobile and pressed 3 on my speed dial. He picked up on the second ring. "Eddie, I need a favour. Get Sydney and meet me in the small waiting area down at reception... Yes, five minutes ago." I grinned and disconnected.

"More diversions?" Dimitri laughed again. "Oh, that's just like old times. You haven't lost your touch." There was a mixture of mischief and appreciation in his voice. A piece of the iceberg inside me broke off and I could have swornthe internal temperature of my soul rose well above freezing.

The lift doors opened, interrupting my musings, and Eddie and Sydney joined us. I threw my car keys at Eddie. "We are swapping cars around, Castile. It's your lucky day, you're getting mine. You are leaving when the cops turn up and our friends over there aren't looking to see who is getting in it. Park it at the airport and get a cab home after that. Sydney, I need you to move your car to the back of the building. Make sure you tell Turner the boss send you to run an errand and is waiting for you." I wink at them and we all grin. "Ewan, we can go to your hotel so you can check out and pick up your things. Do you have anything to pack?"

"Nothing major, I pretty much leave out of a suitcase when I travel and I was in my room for only a few hours before I came here." He shrugged nonchalantly but the meaning was not lost to me; some things never changed, I guess, no matter how much time had passed.

"I'll pack while you check out if you don't mind. We can't afford to waste any time."

"Do you want me to cancel the other arrangements I made earlier, Rose?" Sydney was all business as usual.

"No, as far as you know, my plans haven't changed. Can you drive Mr Freeman's rental there and arrange for it to be picked up tomorrow? I'll find him another car to drive while he's here."

"Sure thing. Call me if you need anything else. See you at the back when you are ready."

I watched as she walked out of the building and could hear her speaking loudly to Turner while he was bullshitting the private investigators in the car park. Ten minutes after she left a patrol car made a turn in and Turner waved them over.

"Your turn, Castile, don't screw this over!" I slapped Eddie's back.

"I love you too, Rose..." was his only response as he left. Dimitri and I made our way to the back door as fast as possible. Sydney was already there, car doors open and keys at the ready.

"Good luck, you two. Be safe!" She handed me the car keys with one hand and took Dimitri's with the other. "I moved the seat as far back as possible but you might still feel a little cramped up, big guy," she grinned. "I'm not sure they made that model with giants in mind."

"I think I'll live, Sage. Thanks for everything. You are OK when you are not intercepting phone calls at your desk." Dimitri and Sydney grinned at each other and I burst in laughter. "As much as I enjoy watching your friendship bonding, it's time to go. Later, Sydney!"

As soon as Dimitri folded his frame somewhat comfortable in the low car, I stepped on the gas. "I see you still drive recklessly," Dimitri observed. "Do I need to start praying?"

My eyes narrowed but never left the road. "You can talk, Dimitri, seeing as you were the one who taught me how to drive like this." Then in a very immature manner, I simply stuck out my tongue at him. I had only been in his company for a day and I could hardly recognise myself. There was something warm and fuzzy building inside me, expanding in my chest. I looked in the mirror and noticed my lips were curved in a smile. _"It's him. It's only Dimitri and being close to him that can do that to me. I'm happy because he's here. What will happen when he leaves in a few days? How will I let him go?" _My whole being recoiled from that thought, groaning in protest. He was my air, he was my sun. I had been suffocating in the dark for thirteen years without him. How was I supposed to let him go again?

I shook myself mentally, trying to snap out of my dark thoughts as I checked the mirrors before turning into the hotel's car park. I'd have enough time for a pity party after he had left. At that moment he was here with me and we had a lot of catching up to do, so I'd better get moving.

"Just like old times..." I turned the engine off and pecked his cheek.

"A good luck kiss?" I nodded in agreement. His lips found mine, just as soft and demanding as I remembered. "Here, that's how it is done." My heart was beating as fast as the wings of a butterfly in my chest and I was slightly dazed when I jumped out of the car. "Room 302, I'll meet you by the car as soon as I check out. Good luck, Roza!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Many thanks to those who reviewed, favourited and followed! A special shout out to Nicia, who fixed my mistakes!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy, just this story line.**

Chapter 18

DPOV

It was amazing watching Rose slip back into the person she used to be thirteen years ago. Some things obviously hadn't changed and although I would still sometimes look over my shoulder, it was quite clear she had never stopped doing it. The thought of her living in constant fear that something bad was going to happen or the past would catch up to her didn't sit well at me and I found myself turning to look out of the window to hide my facial expression. That illusion of solitude only took me further down that train of thought and what I witnessed earlier started to play in my head all over again. The scenes were a torture all on their own; the upset and hurt she'd been concealing from everyone but her husband were enough to make me wish I had never left; the fact he had used the knowledge to wound her further were even worse. The frustrated, hateful growl escaped through my clenched teeth and I found Rose looking at me with a frown of her own.

"Dimitri, are you OK? What's wrong?" Her concern for me only made me loathe myself more that I already had been. Sinking back in my seat as far as possible, I couldn't bare to look at her. "I was thinking about earlier..." I trailed off, knowing I didn't need to elaborate further. Then, all of a sudden, I developed a case of verbal diarrhoea. "You have no idea how much I wanted to hit that bastard you call your husband."

I could feel her icy glare. "Then you won't be surprised the feeling is mutual. Adrian hates your guts. Put yourself in his place, Dimitri, and you'll realise in his eyes you are the villain."

"I might be a villain in almost every meaning of the word but I'd never break your trust and spill your secrets," I turned to look at her, "or humiliate you like that." The road apparently demanded Rose's full attention, because she was staring straight ahead with her lips pursed in a thin line as if she was trying to hold back her own case of word vomit. I shook off the urge to provoke her. "I'm sorry, Roza. I don't want us to fight. It's just... I can't bare seeing you like this or anyone treating you this way."

Her eyes were glossy when she finally looked at me, "Don't do this, Dimitri..." Her bottom lip was trembling and her voice wavering, "I can take your anger and your hate, I can deal with you despising me, but not with your pity..." Her knuckles were turning white on the steering wheel when, with a sharp turn, she pulled over and all but ran out of the car, leaving the door open behind her.

She was sprinting away from me in a field of overgrown grass, and all of a sudden I had a memory of her running between sunflowers taller than her, her hair streaming wildly in the wind created by her movement. She had been a vision of beauty and power, her movement almost feline and I hadn't been able to do anything but stare at her retreating form. She had been laughing, when instead of stopping, she had begun spinning wildly under the scorching sun of a hot summer day. Just like now, she had stopped running away from me just before I had lost sight of her, between the sunflowers, like a creature made of sunlight and warmth. It had been a happy time, we had been young, wild, full of hopes for the future.

What happened this time was different: she stopped dead in her tracks and screamed silently at the sky, her hands reaching up, until a sob broke through and she fell down on her knees. That snapped me into action faster than anything else possibly could and I quickly closed the distance between us. I knew better than to ask questions; she'd talk when she was ready. Instead, I sat down behind her and pulled her flush against me in the space between my legs, wrapping her in my arms in an attempt to give her some comfort.

I pulled her long hair free and started combing through it with my fingers. When we were together, it had been a favourite way to pass time for both of us and we'd had some of our more serious, honest conversations in that exact same position. When I felt her body relax against mine, I knew it wouldn't be long before Rose started talking.

"I hate being like this, Dimitri. After you left, it was like someone had pushed my self-destruct button. I thought I could cope with losing you, but it turned out I was wrong. I don't know what it was like for you, but it was like someone had ripped my heart out. I was numb for a week and then I turned angrier than ever. After... we dealt with the Strigoi... I just didn't have anything left to live for. You were gone and so were Lisa and Christian. All that anger turned towards me. I started drinking, took some drugs, forgot to eat..."

"What about our daughter, Rose? Weren't you worried you were going to harm her?" I interrupt her, suddenly angry myself.

"I didn't even know I was pregnant until the end of the first trimester, Dimitri. You heard what that doctor said after the car crash, so I had no reason to believe it was a possibility. I would have never drunk or taken drugs if I knew..." She takes a deep breath and swallows heavily.

"How did you find out?" I asked. At least I knew she hadn't known about the baby when I left.

"Mason started coming around to check on me. One day I just passed out in front of him while making coffee and he called an ambulance. The paramedics took me to the hospital and when they ran tests, it came up." Her laughter is bitter, when it leaves her lips, "I told the doctor he was insane. I was convinced they had made a mistake and he made me take another test. The little plus sign finally drove the truth home. It wasn't a mistake..." She turns to look at me and her smile is so sad, it makes me want to weep. "Isn't it ironic? I thought I was never going to be able to give you a family and let you go, only to find out I was pregnant after that."

"Why didn't you get in touch with me? Why didn't you come after me?" I needed to know the reasons more than I needed to breathe.

"I couldn't, Dimitri. I was a person of interest for the police. I had been involved with you, and you disappeared, after leaving an amount of blood that would suggest you were dead in the flat we shared. Then, all of a sudden, your "competition" was taken out in a well-planned massacre... First the cops thought I'd killed you, then they tried to connect me to the other murders. I was under surveillance for a while." Rose was tense in my arms, imprisoned in the painful past I was making her relive.

The information she disclosed explained a lot but not everything. A memory of me sending my brother to talk to her popped in my head and I had to ask a question, the answer to which I was dreading.

"Did Gregory find you?" She was silent and still, as though bracing herself for a storm; that was all the answer I needed. "I can't believe you! You, Natasha and Gregory! Did anyone else stab me in the back without me knowing?" I let go of Rose, jumped to my feet and started pacing around. She slowly rose to her feet, straightening up to her full height, but didn't approach me or make an attempt to calm me down. She just stood there, as still as possible, like I was an angered predator who could attack her at any moment. "Why? What did you say to him? Did he know you were pregnant with my baby?"

"Yes, he did." Rose's reply was like another knife through my heart. How much more was there to her story? "What would you have done, if you'd known I was pregnant, Dimitri?"

The words tumbled out of my mouth without a pause or hesitation: "I would have come back! You know I would have come back in a heartbeat!"

"That's why..." was the only thing she said and I knew she was right. For all my control, when pushed too far, I could be impulsive and stupid. I'd proven that hasn't changed when I had turned up at her office that very morning.

We hadn't realised it, wrapped in our own world, that the sun was gone and the sky was darkened by thick, dark clouds. Then big raindrops were falling in a constant stream, creating a downpour that resembled a waterfall. It was like being sprayed with a water cannon and it did wonders to cool off my anger.

"Get in the car, Rose! We'll finish this conversation when we get wherever you are taking me." Two doors were slammed shut, Rose started the engine and that was that.

We travelled in silence the rest of the way, down a country lane, until we stopped in front of a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

-WWO-

_Don't be angry with me for ending the chapter there._

_What do you think will happen in that cabin?_


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**High Hopes Part I**

"Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us  
>To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side<br>Steps taken forward but sleepwalking back again  
>Dragged by the force of some inner tide"<p>

"**High Hopes", Pink Floyd**

DPOV

The short distance from the car to the cabin was accompanied by a feeling of dread; it felt like I was walking the Green Mile. Life as I've known it for the last thirteen years was over, but instead of feeling hopeful and looking forward to the future, all that I could see was a past that was threatening to destroy us completely. Would there be anything left to live for when this conversation was over?

As I dragged my luggage in, I didn't bother having a tour of the cabin; I left my suitcase in the living room and asked for directions to the bathroom. There, I stood by the sink in front of the mirror, having an internal pep talk. When I'd boarded the plane, I had been convinced I wanted to know everything; after Rose's earlier revelations, I wasn't sure that was still the case, but thirteen years in the dark and one too many deceits have a way of making you paranoid.

Deciding that it would be best to find out the whole truth right now, much like ripping off a band-aid, I steeled my resolve. I washed my hands, splashed my face with some cold water and finally made my way out of the bathroom.

"Rose?" I called, not knowing where she was.

"Over here!" She appeared in the door frame to my left. As soon as she knew I'd spotted her, she got back to whatever she was doing, which turned out to be making hot chocolate. "Do you still drink that stuff?" I nodded, not trusting my voice. It was like taking a trip back in time – the scene so much like something she would have done in the past, yet so awkward. There was no comfort to be had in that hot chocolate, no casual chit-chat to follow, no kissing Rose and inhaling the scent of her hair after a long day or night.

"I don't know where to start, Dimitri, so I guess you should say something, anything. What do you want to know? What do you want me to begin with?" Her expression was somber, but she was looking at me expectantly, as if to say "It's your funeral".

Suddenly, I felt exhausted – the anger was all but evaporated, taking the rest of my energy with it. The need to know, however, was still strong. "What happened with Gregory? He told me he couldn't find you, but he spoke to you and you told him you'd met someone else and had moved on. You were never going to come to me and I should never try to contact you again." I ran a hand through my now short hair, then down my face and across my chin in an attempt to shake off the tiredness.

"He found me alright. Abe told him where I was. The Old Man thought I'd gone crazy and had hoped your brother would manage to knock some sense back into my head." She smiled sadly. "See how well that turned out?"

"Where were you?" I asked. "It was around six months after I left..."

"I was with Oksana and Mark in Baia. As soon as Abe got the cops to leave me alone, my medical record was taken care of and the doctor left to work in a hospital across the country, I left. No one could know I was pregnant."

"If you didn't want the baby, you could have had a termination, Rose!" I snapped. The thought of her hating being pregnant with our baby so much she wanted no record of its existence stung.

"I thought about it, but I realised I couldn't end the life we had created. That baby was my only connection to you. Our daughter meant to me more than my own life, Dimitri!" Rose cried out.

"How could you give her up, if she was so important? Why did you give her up, Rose?" My voice got louder, until I was almost shouting. The anger I felt earlier reared its ugly head; I wanted to walk around the kitchen isle, grab her shoulders and shake her.

"Because of your father... and Victor."

"What does Victor have to do with it?" My eyebrow went up; I really couldn't follow her reasoning.

"Did you know Robert Doru, the Strigoi leader, was Victor's half brother? I killed him, Dimitri! For you, for us, for everyone I loved and lost, for everyone and everything I had to give up. Victor knew the only person who could have made the connection was me. Your persuasion methods were effective, but sometimes brute force can't get the job done."

"You are telling me it was Victor who sold us out?" Rose nodded in agreement and all of a sudden I wasn't just angry but furious. "Then why is he still alive?"

"Because I had other plans for him. I convinced your father there was worse fate than death. We took everything away from him, Dimitri – his wealth, his family, his freedom. He was serving a life sentence in Tarasov for the murder of his daughter and his wife before he escaped."

"Fuck!" was the only response I had to that new information. No matter how much I wanted to hear about Victor and the Strigoi, the desire to hear everything about our daughter was stronger. "You can tell me all about that later. I want to hear about Dimitriya. Please!

"I don't know if I ever told you, but Oksana is Abe's sister. She and Mark had been trying for a baby since I could remember, but Oksana never conceived. I couldn't give Dimitriya to strangers. Giving her to Mark and Oksana was the only way to keep her in the family and close to me. So, long story short, I travelled to Baia as soon as I was able to and stayed with them for a year."

"Baia is a small town, Rose. What did you tell people? There is no record of you having a child."

"We told them I was Mark and Oksana's surrogate. The baby was never mine but theirs in the eyes of people. They treated me like a saint, Dimitri – the niece that would do that for her aunt and uncle. It made me feel so bad about all the lies."

"I'm guessing my mother was your midwife... But how did you fool Yeva?" My grandmother had had a special gift – she had dreamt of the future and knew things. I would be surprised if she hadn't known the truth.

"Babushka? Oh, the woman scared the living hell out of me when I first met her. I almost had a miscarriage after our first tête-à-tête." Rose laughed. "The old witch sure knew how to talk to people." There was fondness in her harsh words I was surprised by. Yeva used to terrify me when I was little, so I knew exactly what Rose was talking about from personal experience.

"What did she say to you?" I wouldn't have been happy with Yeva if she had cost us our daughter.

"I met your mother after you "disappeared". I was still in that numb phase when she came to the flat. It was... an emotional first meeting. We talked and we cried together, both for our own reasons. It was killing me that I couldn't tell her you were safe and well, but I was grieving myself. I had lost you... forever and my tears were real. Do you know the worst about it? She was comforting me, Dimitri! Me! When I turned up in Baia, she did the maths and asked me if the baby was yours. I told her the truth about Dimtriya but what I really wanted was to put her mind at rest about you. They had a memorial about you – there was no body, no funeral, just people from the town getting together to share their memories of you. Olena asked me to talk about you. I was hesitant at first – you were much feared and hated, but those people told stories about you in a different light. I listened and by the time it was my turn, I was so choked up, I could hardly find my voice. I... they treated me like your widow. It was so very strange, but heart warming at the same time, it made me sob out loud. That is how I met Yeva. She didn't really talk to me, just sat quietly with her eyes on me the whole time, watching my every move and soaking up every single word that left my mouth. Just before we left, she came to me, looked me over and nodded, as if she was having some internal dialogue and had finally reached a decision, then suddenly hugged me. She walked off after that, without saying a word. It was creepy."

My laugh interrupted Rose and she had a serious case of the giggles. "Yes, Roza, she was capable of making your skin crawl. What happened after that?

Rose smiled and shrugged: "A week after I met her, she called and said she needed some help bringing some dishes back to Oksana's house. Mark told her he'd help, but she demanded I was the one to go." Rose laughed again. "She didn't really need my help, she just wanted to get me alone. When I got to the house, Paul was the only other Belikov around. Babushka shooed him out in the garden as soon as he brought us tea and cookies."

"I bet Paul didn't want to get out. Did she have to use her walking stick, or did her glare do the trick?" I grinned when Rose started laughing again. God, I missed my mother and my sisters so much. I even missed Yeva. As I'd grown older, I had come to understand her. She hadn't been pleased with the road my father led me down, but it had been my choice – my life and my future in exchange for those of my mother and sisters. Anton Belikov had always been a cruel, vicious man and my mother had suffered the consequences of his volatile personality. At the age of fourteen, I had finally grown tall and strong enough to stand up to him and had given him a good beating in the name of all we had suffered. He gave as good as he got and I had managed to gain the upper hand by accident – I was taller and faster, but he was bulkier and stronger; what had saved me was a misstep on his behalf. He had lost his balance for a moment and I had taken full advantage of that. I had thrown him out of the family house triumphantly only to collapse as soon as I'd managed to close and lock the front door, hoping we'd never see him again.

Anton Belikov, however, had decided that he wanted to keep me with him. I was his only son, his only heir. When I had beaten him up, I had proven I could be ruthless and useful. He'd come back with a list of demands and in the end he'd left with what he wanted. He hadn't been interested in saving his marriage, keeping the house or any of his children but me. He had stopped supporting the family, threats and reminders of what he was capable of had started arriving daily. In the end, I'd gone with him because I'd been terrified of what he'd do to the Belikov women.

Life with my father hadn't been easy. I'd discovered as soon as he'd dragged me away from my mother's house that he'd had a mistress and Gregory was my half-brother, the same age as Sonya. I had quickly come to the conclusion that Mama had found out and, when she had confronted him, the beatings had started. What was worse, he'd married her almost immediately after the divorce was finalised, making the woman who had caused so much pain and devastation to the people I love my stepmother. I had never really called her anything but her name, but it had hurt when people had called her my mother. Their marriage didn't last long and Gregory and I were pretty much in the same position when wife number three came along – barely three years older than me – when I was seventeen.

Gregory and I banded together in an attempt to stay sane and had bonded in those years. When his third marriage broke up, our father never married again. He still "dated" but never settled, concentrating his attention on his two children, which only made life worse for us.

"She had to chase him out," Rose's voice, still holding a note of amusement, broke me out of my reverie. "As soon as he was out of earshot, she looked at me with those all-seeing eyes of hers and told me I did the right thing, regardless of how much it hurt me. She said that the darkness will last a long time, but my light will come back to me when I least expect it. I never understood what she meant until now," Rose shook her head, "but I guess she knew all along that one day we'll find each other again. You have always been my light, after all." Rose was looking at me, eyes wide, an expression of pain and regret mixed with relief on her face, as if she could only just now belief that I was real and here with her. Then she looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting painfully against each other, her features smoothing slowly into an emotionless mask.

I couldn't help it – I moved towards her, pulling her face up, so she would have to look at me – and then slowly, brushed my lips against hers, whispering "As you have always been mine."

I wasn't prepared for her reaction - the strength with which she pulled me down to her, or the brutality and vehemence of her kiss – but a moment later I was pulling her closer, sitting her on the kitchen worktop and getting lost in the feeling of Rose's lips, Rose's body, Rose's warmth, until it felt like I was melting and sinking into her and I ceased to exist as me, just a reflection of the blinding light she was.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Weak and Powerless**

Little angel go away  
>Come again some other day<br>The devil has my ear today  
>I'll never hear a word you say<br>He promised I would find a little solace  
>And some piece of mind<br>Whatever just as long as I don't feel so

Desperate and Ravenous  
>I'm so weak and powerless<br>Desperate and Ravenous  
>I'm so weak and powerless<br>Over you

As with everything that had to do with Rose, this time wasn't any different – any semblance and pretense of control I had scrambled to put on show were lost within seconds of physical contact. I had been with many women before her and with even more - when I'd realised she was never coming to me – in a desperate attempt to erase any memory of her and the way she made me feel, but she had been engraved so deeply there, the feel of her body, her skin and the silkiness of her hair, that no woman had ever been able to make me stop thinking about or comparing them to her.

I'd been deprived of her presence and her touch for so long, I was clutching her with desperation I had never felt before. I knew she would try to stop this from happening. She'd said that it wasn't right for us to be together like this – before we had resolved our current predicaments – yet I didn't want to stop and was prepared to argue and beg. I needed this. I needed her.

The rational part of me told me back off and give Rose a chance to decide what she wanted to happen. The dominant male part of me demanded I drag her to the bedroom, rip her clothes off and bury my face and dick into her, suck and bite until I'd left my scent and marks on her body and filled her with my seed, so she'd forget about everyone and everything else.

When Rose pulled away, I moved to her neck. She gulped air, then her palms flattened against my chest: "Dimitri... I can't... we have to stop." There was desperation in her breathless protest. There was no fire or persuasion in her words, but the rejection was hard to accept.

The caveman part won, the "No" leaving my throat in a growl, while I attacked a spot on her neck that make her arch against me. One hand slid down her spine, the other moved to the buttons of her shirt, my hips undulated so my erection could stroke the sensitive flesh between her legs. She froze for a moment, then shivered as her body reacted against her better judgment.

It was the moment she caved – all her defenses falling – that the Rose she'd buried under so much pain and sorrow made an appearance. There was violence in the way her legs locked around me, her nails digging into my shoulders through my shirt as she fought to find purchase to get closer to me. She sought more contact, more friction, as her body slid up and down mine and as I gave up on undoing her buttons and ripped the front of her shirt open. My arms moved to support her weight as my long strides ate the distance to the bedroom she'd shown me to earlier and we collapsed on the bed in a heap of tangled limbs.

In the frenzy, a little voice begged me to slow down and take my time, warned me about the consequences of my actions, but I ignored it. I was a man possessed, desperate and ravenous for the beautiful creature writhing underneath me. Clothes were thrown around the room as my need rose to a new level and my mouth followed my fingers, caressing, pinching, licking every bit of skin as I bared it.

With my face buried between her thighs, sucking, nipping, licking, I marveled at the taste that was Rose, her wetness coating my fingers and my lips, as I worked her into a frenzied mess. As she screamed her release, I couldn't wait any longer and without giving her time to come down from her high, slid my hard length inside her. Silky, wet heat enveloped me as I moved with hard, fast strokes and I fought to get even deeper with every unforgiving push.

Rose gave as good as she got – her pace matching mine, her nails digging deep – as we fought for control over each other. Right or wrong, there was nothing else I'd rather be doing at that moment, nowhere else I'd rather be and no one else I'd ever want to be with. She was _mine_ and I'd never give her up.

Her walls gripped me tighter with each slide and I knew we both wouldn't last much longer. My movements got faster and I pushed even deeper into Rose's tight body. Her legs wrapped around me and pulled me even closer to her. I wanted to tell her so many things, but I couldn't hold my release much longer and I only managed to gasp out "Come with me, Roza!"

She exploded around me and I couldn't hold back any longer, her and my loud appreciation for each other echoing around us. I collapsed on her chest to catch my breath and she held me tight to her. When I finally looked up to Rose, I saw a lone tear roll down into her hairline, before she looked at me and whispered: "I have to go."


End file.
